The Assistant

Give Me Tonight

For the rest of the day, Roman stayed in his office with the blinds drawn, or could he have been lying somewhere in his bedroom? Even if she wanted to comfort him, talk to him, she didn't know how or what to say. Magdalena had thrown them for a loop and had their heads reeling. If anything, they both needed time to think it all through. Roman and Eliza both mentioned that Magdalena was a delusional woman, fabricating an entire relationship with Roman in her mind. Still, she had taken it with a grain of salt until today. Regardless, her heart ached. The joy Roman showed when he and Magdalena discovered they would be parents to two was burned into her memory.

At that moment, Valencia knew that she would have loved to stay in his life, in their life. She wouldn't have minded having two little ones in her life, too, but when she saw how happy they were together, the little hope Valencia had that she and Roman could still possibly stay together quickly slipped through her fingers like sand. Valencia could never get in between something that could potentially be beneficial and blissful to Roman.

Immediately after Magdalena agreed to their dating, the opportunity for Valencia and Roman to be together was no longer relevant. Magdalena had every right to try to make a family out of whatever twisted relationship she and Roman had. Valencia didn't want to be the reason their family didn't come to fruition before it even had a chance to be planted.

At eight o'clock, Valencia finally decided to head home, but before she left, she needed to make her peace. She lightly knocked on Roman's door, and when he didn't answer, she opened it. The office was empty, and the bookcase behind Roman's desk was left ajar. Valencia peaked inside and found the disheveled silhouette of Roman leaning against his chair, staring out the window. The horizon's red and orange glow twinkled against the empty crystal whiskey glass in his hand. Not wanting to spook him, Valencia knocked lightly against the inner wall of his bedroom.

"Care to join me, Ms. Reyes?" Roman's voice was husky. He only slightly raised the glass in his hand, but he never turned to address her adequately.

"No, thank you. I was actually about to head out, but I wanted to let you know first. In case you needed me to do something for you." Valencia took a few steps in, leaning against the frame.

Roman turned somewhat, but his gaze remained on the city below.

He let out a deep sigh. "No, Ms. Reyes. You've done enough for today, thank you."

"It's after hours, Mr. Ortiz. You don't have to speak to me so formally." Valencia tried to lighten the mood, but when Roman said nothing, she thought it best to tell her peace and go for good. "Roman, you owe it to her to try," she whispered. "No matter what, she is the mother of your children, and she will be in your life from now on. The least you can do is try to build something with her. A family. A real family."

Roman shook his head, finally turning to look at her. "No, I don't want her. I want you, Valencia. Only you. All that became clear to me when I saw the ultrasound images. It was as if my entire future flashed before my eyes. I saw my children, I saw you, I saw Cas-" he stopped himself short.

"She loves you, Roman. Or at least, she believes she does." Valencia answered.

"And I," he stood, "I love you," his voice cracked. "Magdalena is carrying my children, yes, but she will never have my heart. That-that will always belong to you and-"

Valencia knew what he wanted to say, but she was unsure why he couldn't. She always knew that Roman's heart would never fully belong to her because a part of it also belonged to the man he so desperately missed.

"Oh, Roman," her breath clung to her throat. "I'm so sorry, but I can't be the reason why you don't give her a chance-your children. I-I have to go. I wish the two of you the best of luck." Valencia turned to leave when Roman's firm grip around her wrist stopped her.